A site devoted to a mixed bag of topics, with an emphasis on professional and amateur sports in Regina, Saskatchewan. We also preview the weekly lineup of guests for the Locker Talk on Access 7 tv sports talk show.

Monday, November 30, 2009

Losing the Grey Cup on a last play field goal is heartbreaking. Having that kick come on the heels of a missed kick that should have ended the game is doubly heartbreaking. Having the Als get a second chance to kick the field goal because of an illegal substitution penalty is tragic beyond words.

The Rider player who failed to come off the field when the coaches called for the field goal "block" unit screwed up. Huge. However, nothing would be gained by the rest of us knowing who that person was/is.

Quite frankly, there's enough blame to go around for that fourth quarter collapse.

If the Riders had picked up one (ONE!) first down after Montreal's failed two point conversion, Rider Nation would be celebrating today, instead of mourning.

Give Anthony Calvillo and the Als credit though. They figured out a way to get it done.

Darian Durant played better than you would expect a first year starter to, but those two interceptions (one of which was not his fault) he served up were devastating.

I guess we had to have one final parallel to 1976. The Riders finished first in the West for the first time since that year, hosted the west final for the first time since '76, and lost the Grey Cup in heartbreaking fashion - just like 33 years ago.

With the abundance of young talent on this team, and the return of a few key injured players (Weston Dressler, Belton Johnson, Wayne Smith), 2010 is shaping up to be a very exciting 100th anniversary year for the green guys.

Was last night's game the final hurrah for veterans like Gene Makowsky, Jeremy O'Day and Chris Szarka? If so, they should be applauded for their outstanding careers, and major contributions to this year's successes.

And of course, the big question mark heading into the offseason - will Eric Tillman be back as general manager in 2010?

In the meantime, I hope lots of fans show up at Mosaic Stadium at 2:30 this afternoon to welcome home the West Division champs, and congratulate them on an outstanding 2009 season.

Sunday, November 29, 2009

I guess a person should congratulate the Montreal Alouettes for storming back to beat the Saskatchewan Roughriders 28-27 in the Grey Cup. While we're at it, congrats to the Riders on a terrific season, which very nearly ended with the fourth championship in team history. Those are the positives. And now:

The Rider defence played a great first three quarters, but then couldn't get a stop when it counted the most. Damn!

Even a high school special teams coordinator would know you did not need a kick returner in the end zone when Damon Duval lined up for the field goal at the end of the game.

Gather 'round, and let me explain why:

The Riders were winning by two points with five seconds left on the clock.

Normally, when the opposing team lines up for a field goal, a defensive back drops back into the end zone, in case of a miss.

In this case, some bright light on the Rider sideline panicked, and sent in Jason Armstead, thinking they needed to return a missed field goal out of the end zone.

They did not. When Duval missed, all the Rider player in the end zone had to do was catch the ball and take a knee. Saskatchewan would give up one point, and still win the game 27-26.

So, whomever sent Armstead onto the field screwed up. The player that Armstead replaced screwed up by (presumably) not coming off the field. The refs throw their flags, Duval gets a second chance, and the hearts are ripped out of Rider fans - not unlike 1976.

Having vented, I can now thank the Riders for an exciting season. I also hope Rob Bagg isn't injured too severely. Only seven more months until training camp, folks!

Friday, November 27, 2009

If Darian Durant is on, the Riders have a definite chance against Montreal in Sunday's Grey Cup.

If he isn't, and Anthony Calvillo is, the score could get pretty lopsided.

If Wes Cates rushes for 100 yards, the Riders win. No question.

The last time Cates hit the century mark was on September 26th against Edmonton, when he rushed 17 times for 103 yards. The Riders beat Edmonton 23-20 in that game.

Defensively, it's pretty simple. If you can make Anthony Calvillo uncomfortable, you have a chance.

If Calvillo has time, he will pick apart any defence.

Prediction: Saskatchewan 26 Montreal 21

In other news...

The Regina Pats have been on a pretty nice roll lately, winning 4 of their last 5.

With football season about to wrap up, the Pats couldn't pick a better time to get hot. Hopefully that translates into butts in the seats when the team returns to the Brandt Centre for games next weekend against Brandon and Prince Albert.

Are the Wheat Kings - this year's Memorial Cup hosts - a legitimate contending team? Right now I'd rate them no higher than 5th in the WHL, behind Saskatoon, Calgary, Vancouver and Tri-City.

Well, I officially joined the board of the Lakeshore Tennis Club last night. Time to shake things up around that place!

I'm off to the J-man's school this afternoon for the parent-teacher interview. Based on the results of his report card, I'm thinking this encounter should go pretty smoothly!

SportZone trivia: The Montreal Alouettes and Saskatchewan Roughriders have never met in the Grey Cup. However, the Montreal Winged Wheelers beat the Regina Roughriders 22-0 to win the Grey Cup in which year? Answer: 1931.

Congratulations to Eileen Roles of Regina, who won a free medium pizza from Panago for sending in the first correct answer!

Thursday, November 19, 2009

First off, a thumbs up for the following folks, who have donated (or are going to donate) raffle prizes for the Atom Tier 3 Blackhawks hockey tournament in December:

SaskPower

Regina Pats

Regina Thunder

Regina Red Sox

Capital Pontiac

Prairie Fire Rugby

U of R Cougars

Gus Giannoutsos, Massage Therapist

SaskEnergy

If you, or your company, can lend a hand - let me know! We're especially hoping to find someone to sponsor the cost of prizes for all the players at the end of the tournament. It's a write off for you, and a great treat for about 75 kids.

Now, the usual Thursday stuff:

Cheers

Classic Landscape Company - not cheap, but they do good work.

Lakeview Fine Foods - also not cheap, but a great choice for a quick grocery run.

Friday, November 13, 2009

It's time to see for myself how much the Regina Pats have improved in the past few weeks. I'll see if I can squeeze in with Rod and Al in the CKRM booth tonight.

How can you not get psyched for a home-and-home set with Moose Jaw?

I guarantee the Moose Javians in attendance will be loud and proud tonight. It'd be nice if the Pats fans drowned them out for once!

Is it too early to put up a few Christmas decorations this weekend? Not the tree, just a few smaller things around the house. Or is it too soon?

It sounds like there are only single tickets left for the CFL western final next weekend in Regina.

Would you go to a football game alone? I've done it, when the J-man bailed out (well, it wasn't actually him who bailed, but I digress) at the last minute. It's not the best scenario, that's for sure.

I think I'll be cheering for the Eskimos this weekend. They've already beaten the Riders twice at Mosaic Stadium this season. NO WAY are they gonna go three-for-three!

Seriously, can anyone stop the Montreal Alouettes?

Hurray for Regina's Paul Woldu, who scored his first CFL touchdown last week. Paul plays defensive back for the Als.

Well, it doesn't look like Toronto's NBA team will be a championship contender this year. Add the Raptors to the list with the Leafs, Blue Jays and Argos.

With the Rider playoff game still not a sellout, and plenty of tickets still available for the World Junior hockey tournament, I've been wondering: Should Regina be considered a great sports town?

Sure, the Riders do very well at the gate. But the Pats rarely fill the Brandt Centre, the Rams are lucky to get 2000 people to one of their games, and the other U of R teams average crowds in the dozens.

Maybe this is strictly a CFL city. Which would be too bad, actually.

Does every quarterback automatically suck as soon as they slip on a Chicago Bears jersey? Add Jay Cutler to the list.

As a diehard Packers fan, I want to hate Brett Favre. He's a Minnesota Viking, so I should hate Brett Favre. But, yet...part of me wonders if he has one more magical run left in him. I may even hope he does. Damn, I'm conflicted.

SportZone trivia: Prior to Erwin Klempner in 2009, who was the only Regina Thunder coach to win coach of the year in the Prairie Football Conference? And in which year? Send us your answer, and your contact information. The first correct response scores a delicious medium pizza from Panago!

Monday, November 09, 2009

Congrats to the Riders for finishing first in the CFL's west division for the first time in 33 years.

Can Darian Durant bounce back from a lousy game or what? Durant and Andy Fantuz were huge against the Stamps Saturday night.

Before the season started, I predicted the Riders would go 10-8 this year. 10-7-1 is pretty close, isn't it?

Somebody ought to tell a local radio sportscaster that Ryan Getzlaf plays for the Anaheim Ducks, and his brother Chris catches passes for the Riders.

I hate it when Rider fans feel the need to find fault with the performance of their team after a win. ie: "Sure we won, but the offence didn't score any points in the third quarter again."

Guess what? The Riders didn't play a perfect game in either the '07 or '89 Grey Cups, and those games still turned out pretty well.

This province and many of its football fans seem to really have a hard time dealing with success. It's as if they're always waiting for something to go horribly wrong.

Oh, and it would be good if some fans (and some radio hosts) educated themselves on what is, and what isn't, a horse collar tackle. Lesson #1 - grabbing a ball carrier by the back of his jersey does not necessarily mean it's a horse collar tackle.

CFL refs make enough mistakes, let's not crucify them for the calls they actually get right!

Hey, the Regina Pats are starting to win a few games. Come see for yourself, you might be pleasantly surprised.

Is it too soon to start the campaign to have Jordan Eberle named the CHL Player of the Year? He has to be considered an early contender.

Thud. That's the sound of the University of Regina Rams' season coming to a sudden stop in Saskatoon on Saturday. The Rams just weren't in the same league as the Huskies and Calgary Dinos this year. Mind you, neither were any other teams in Canada West.

Checked out the new Applebees in the south end last night. The food and service were quite acceptable, although the dish soap aftertaste with my ginger ale was not!

Friday, November 06, 2009

EDIT: Fortunately, the following rumour turned out to be false. Or at least not entirely accurate. So much for impeccable sources!

The Saskatchewan Roughriders may be without the services of veteran cornerback Omarr Morgan for tomorrow night's regular season finale against the Calgary Stampeders. A source very close to the situation says Morgan is heading home to California to be with his ill mother and will miss the first place showdown with the Stamps.

If that's the case, that creates a very big hole in a defensive secondary already missing halfback Eddie Davis, who is out at least another week with a knee injury.

Thursday, November 05, 2009

Back by popular demand, our weekly look at the stars and the duds in the world of customer service. I'll start:

Cheers

WestJet. They get you where you need to go, and treat you like your business actually matters to them. Imagine!

Tumblers. If it's not the best pizza in town, it's certainly in the top three.

Regina Dental Group (Pasqua south location). As pleasant an experience as going to the dentist can be.

Jeers

Level Corp (again). Gee, it only took an "F" rating from the Better Business Bureau to get their attention!

Tumblers. Love the pie, but $30 for a large pizza? That's kinda steep.

Sandman Hotel (downtown Vancouver). First they "misplaced" our reservation, then - despite advertising their fitness facility on their website - tell us it's a private gym, and it'll cost us an extra $8 a day to work out there. Oh, and the gym sucked.

Wednesday, November 04, 2009

So, I'm listening to a morning sportscast on the local news/talk station. A report comes on, previewing the upcoming "winner take first" matchup between the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Calgary Stampeders. Pretty straightforward stuff.

Now, as all hardcore Rider fans know, Saskatchewan is the only CFL team without a 1000 yard rusher this season. Riders tailback Wes Cates has 876 yards on the ground, with one game left. Again, pretty straightforward.

But, I just about gagged on my toothpaste when the reporter told the world that Cates is "124 yards away from the century mark on the season". Excuse me? Pardon? Let me see if I have this right - Cates is 124 yards away from 100? He has -24 yards so far this season? Oh, I see.

Tuesday, November 03, 2009

Rams in postseason after Manitoba forfeits winsThe University of Manitoba’s football team forfeited three victories on Tuesday because of the use of an ineligible player, moving the Regina Rams into the fourth and final playoff position in Canada West.

Manitoba used an ineligible student-athlete for its first five games of the season. As per Canada West bylaws, the use of an ineligible player results in forfeiture of games in which the student-athlete was deemed ineligible. The two games won by Manitoba over UBC and Alberta have been changed to losses and wins for the two opponents. The third game, Manitoba at Simon Fraser has been declared "no contest" because both teams used an ineligible player. The final scores for the two forfeited games are recorded as 1-0 forfeits by Manitoba. All statistics for the three games will remain intact.

The Rams (3-5) will now play the Saskatchewan Huskies (7-1) in the conference semifinals on Saturday. Game time is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Griffiths Stadium in Saskatoon. The winner of the game will advance to the Hardy Cup, where they’ll take on either Alberta or No. 2-ranked Calgary in the Canada West championship game.

The Rams held a film session on Monday evening. The team will return to practice on Tuesday, and is scheduled to be on the field at 7 p.m.

PATS’ JORDAN EBERLE NAMED HUSKY WHL PLAYER OF THE MONTH

CALGARY, AB. – The Western Hockey League announced today that forward Jordan Eberle, of the Regina Pats, has been named the HUSKY WHL Player of the Month for September/October.

Since his return from the Edmonton Oilers on September 29th, the 19 year-old forward has made an immediate impact with the Pats recording 25 points in 12 games through September/October. Eberle has found the net 12 times and has assisted on 13 others all while maintaining a plus minus rating of +5. He is currently on a seven game point streak and has recorded a point in 11 of 12 games played since his return, including four multi-goal and eight multi-point games; Eberle also leads the WHL in the points per game category averaging 2.08 Pt/G.

Eberle’s consistent play has helped the Regina Pats achieve a .500 record (5-5-2-0) since his return and his efforts have also earned him a Three Star selection in six of his 12 games played, with two being 1st Stars.

Eberle, originally from Regina, Saskatchewan, was a first round – 22nd overall selection of the Edmonton Oilers at the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.